As communication devices are becoming more ubiquitous and consumers are constantly connecting and interacting with other devices, and many different services, the potential for errors are also becoming more frequent, varied, and prominent. Error messages stemming from the inability to connect, network issues, software issues, configuration issues, and operational issues as just a few of the errors that devices are now more prone to receive. Typically these error messages are presented to a consumer through pop-up messages during the operation of the device. However, as devices are evolving and communication and processing is becoming more complex, error messages are becoming more frequent. Given the wide diversity of problems and sources of problems, there is a need for a clear presentation model that is optimized for multi-service applications.
For example, a typical error alert appears with a “Security Certificate Error,” the error alert provides two options “Dismiss” or “Settings.” The user stops and addresses the issue: 1) it dismisses the popup and the error notification is gone or 2) proceeds to the settings screen to resolve the error.
A number of issues are arising form this scenario. One such issue is distraction and annoyance faced by the user in needing to attend to the error at that instant it occurs, even if the error does not need immediate resolution. This is especially true, when multiple errors are occurring and the user efficiency is jeopardized by the numerous alerts. In addition, in many cases a common root cause like a network interruption may cause similar errors within many services within a multi-service application leading to numerous unwanted alerts. Another issue is inability to quickly retrieve a previous error dismissed, at a time more convenient for the user. Still another issue is the limiting error display, where receiving a single pop-up for error for every error can be messy, inefficient, and difficult to navigate.